Microsoft Censorship Moved Us to Linux

January 6, 2006. Newfield, New York

I read in the New York Times this morning that Microsoft has shut down the blog of a well-known Chinese blogger named Zhao Jing, better known by his online pen name, An Ti. He had evidently penned some comments in his blog that were mildly critical of the Chinese government's crackdown on press freedom. So at the Chinese government's request, Microsoft colluded with them in the free press crackdown by removing Mr. Zhau's blog, which was hosted by a Microsoft service called MSN Spaces.

Brooke Richardson, speaking for MSN from Seattle, is quoted in the Times article as saying, “We think it's better to be there with our services than not be there.” Isn't that something like what our dissolute American politicians have been saying, “It's better to be a crooked politician than not one at all.” (Oh, okay, I haven't heard anyone actually say exactly that, but that's what I think we would hear from our asleep-at-the-wheel Congress were they even remotely honest.)

Zhao Jing is no wild-eyed radical hurling irresponsible invective and aching for a fight. He is a research assistant in the Beijing bureau of The New York Times. Prior to that he worked for the Washington Post. Last year Mr. Zhao was China's only jury member for a world blog competition in Germany.

Quoting Rebecca MacKinnon (http://rconversation.blogs.com/rconversation/) blogging about Microsoft and its censorship, “This is one reason the communist party will stick around longer than many outsiders think. Businesses get greedy and try to manipulate the authoritarian system to their advantage, rather than working together to make the whole thing more fair, accountable, and transparent. Microsoft clearly isn't taking the high road either.”

It's always about the money, eh, Mr. Gates?

Speaking of which, don't think you and your wife have bought any real respectability by donating a few million dollars to the fight against AIDs in Africa, or any of your other paltry little give-away schemes. It is too little, too late. For one thing, the total of all you have given is less than a drop in the bucket of the huge fortune you gained through Microsoft's predatory practices (many of them illegal) with a buggy, over-priced operating system (all proved by convictions in courts both here and in Europe).

The timing of this disclosure about MSN's weakness and willingness to kiss the Chinese government's butt is actually fortuitous for me. I have for the last few weeks been wrestling with decisions related to the purchase of new computers for me and my company. In recent years I have been turned off by the needless expenses associated with MS Windows as an operating system, and its built-in weaknesses. Windows is definitely a hugely bloated, security-challenged system. What really bugs me is their self-serving decision to put all customers to the inconvenience of having to call them to install their product. Change computers, or for any reason have to re-load windows, and you have to call Microsoft again to get a new installation code (read “their approval”) to do it.

So the decision confronting me has been, do we go with Linux operating systems or Macs, or stick with Windows. Almost all of our software is for the Windows operating system, and some of it is not even available in Mac or Linux versions. So to make a change would be expensive in terms of both time and money.

The MSN censorship in China, and that company's willingness to kowtow to an authoritarian government, now raises a whole new issue for many of us (including Ms MacKinnon): How can I be sure Microsoft is not inserting some form of spy ware into Windows at the request of the Bush government? We have now learned that America's NSA has been illegally spying on US citizens with Bush's approval (and probably Cheney's urging). With that, along with the myriad other violations of the Constitution by this administration, I am sure they would not hesitate to demand that Microsoft incorporate some form of secret, undetectable spy ware in its Windows operating system. After Microsoft's actions in China, it would be silly to believe that they would buck their own government and refuse such a request.

I have no evidence that this has happened. But I am not willing to live with even the remotest probability that it might. Not after what we have seen of this government and Microsoft.

And don't bother me with that tired neocon crap that goes, “If you don't have anything to hide, what are you worried about?” It is obscenely stupid to voluntarily give up any freedom – especially if it involves governmental invasion of privacy – simply because you don't happen to be using it at the moment. Anyone who doesn't understand that is not smart enough to be reading this and should go away.

Now, with Microsoft's demonstrated perfidy and censorship, the matter is no longer simply an issue of money and convenience. Their policy and actions have made it a matter of principle, and in that regard we do not bend. So adios to Bill Gates (I wish!) and Microsoft Windows. We are going with Linux and Macs. If there is anything that can only be done on a Windows PC, we will just have to get along without it.

– Chuck Henderson